Urtica urens

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Urtica urens
Urtica urens 002.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Urtica
Species:
U. urens
Binomial name
Urtica urens
L.

Urtica urens, commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle, or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia, including the Himalayan regions of Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim in India and can be found in North America, New Zealand and South Africa as an introduced species. It is reputed to sting more strongly than common nettle. [1]

Contents

Description

Unlike the perennial and dioecious stinging nettle Urtica dioica, Urtica urens is an annual plant, monoecious (with male and female flowers on the same plant) and generally much shorter. It can be distinguished from the stinging nettle by its more rounded leaves with coarser, deeper toothing and with the terminal tooth of similar length to the adjacent teeth. The lower leaves are shorter than their longer petioles and have stinging hairs only. [2] :305 [3] :36

Distribution

The native distribution of Urtica urens includes most of Europe except the British Isles, northern Asia, north and north-west Africa. [4] In the British Isles, Urtica urens is an archaeophyte, an ancient introduction. [5] It has been introduced to all other continents of the world except Antarctica. [4]

Organism interactions

In Europe, Urtica urens is one of the food plants of the small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). In New Zealand it is also a food plant for the New Zealand red admiral butterfly (Bassaris gonerilla, syn. Vanessa gonerilla, syn. Papilio gonerilla), and the Australian / New Zealand yellow admiral butterfly (Vanessa itea). [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Vanessa atalanta</i> Species of butterfly

Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral or, previously, the red admirable, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about 2 inches (5 cm). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in autumn. Typically found in moist woodlands, the red admiral caterpillar's primary host plant is the stinging nettle ; it can also be found on the false nettle. The adult butterfly drinks from flowering plants like Buddleia and overripe fruit. Red admirals are territorial; females will only mate with males that hold territory. Males with superior flight abilities are more likely to successfully court females. It is known as an unusually calm butterfly, often allowing observation at a very close distance before flying away, also landing on and using humans as perches.

<i>Urtica dioica</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Urticaceae

Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact.

<i>Urtica</i> Genus of flowering plants

Urtica is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles. The generic name Urtica derives from the Latin for 'sting'.

<i>Lamium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lamium (dead-nettles) is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which it is the type genus. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, but several have become very successful weeds of crop fields and are now widely naturalised across much of the temperate world.

<i>Lamium purpureum</i> Species of flowering plant

Lamium purpureum, known as red dead-nettle, purple dead-nettle, or purple archangel, is an annual herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and Asia.

<i>Valerianella locusta</i> Species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae

Valerianella locusta, commonly called mâche, cornsalad, or lamb's lettuce, is a small, herbaceous, annual flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and north Africa, where it is eaten as a leaf vegetable.

<i>Urtica ferox</i> Species of plant

Urtica ferox, commonly known as tree nettle and, in Māori, ongaonga, taraonga, taraongaonga, оr okaoka, is a species of nettle endemic to New Zealand. Unlike the other species in the genus Urtica found in New Zealand, all of which are herbaceous, ongaonga is a large woody shrub that can grow to a height of 3 m (9.8 ft), with the base of the stem reaching 12 cm (4.7 in) in thickness. It has large spines that can result in a painful sting that lasts several days.

<i>Vanessa indica</i> Species of butterfly

Vanessa indica, called the Indian red admiral or the Asian admiral in the United States, is a butterfly found in the higher altitude regions of India, primarily the Himalayas and the Nilgiri Hills. It is also found in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, China, Korea, SE Russia, Japan. It is a close relative of the painted lady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand red admiral</span> Species of butterfly

The New Zealand red admiral is a butterfly endemic to New Zealand. Its Māori name is kahukura, which means "red cloak". The red admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the subfamily Nymphalinae and the tribe Nymphalini. There are two subspecies: V. g. gonerilla, which occurs on the mainland of New Zealand, and V. g. ida, which occurs on the Chatham Islands.

<i>Lamium album</i> Species of flowering plant

Lamium album, commonly called white nettle or white dead-nettle, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native throughout Europe and Asia, growing in a variety of habitats from open grassland to woodland, generally on moist, fertile soils.

<i>Pilea pumila</i> Species of flowering plant

Pilea pumila, commonly known as clearweed, Canadian clearweed, coolwort or richweed, is an herbaceous plant in the nettle family (Urticaceae). It is native to Asia and eastern North America, where it is broadly distributed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow admiral</span> Species of butterfly

The yellow admiral or Australian admiral is a butterfly native to Australia, New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Islands. The Māori name is kahukōwhai, which means "yellow cloak". The yellow admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the subfamily Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.

<i>Vicia sylvatica</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

Vicia sylvatica, known as wood vetch, is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus.

<i>Succisa pratensis</i> Species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae

Succisa pratensis, also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field scabious have five lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate genus in the same family. It also grows on damper ground.

<i>Urtica thunbergiana</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Urticaceae

Urtica thunbergiana, also known as the Japanese nettle or hairy nettle, is a species of perennial herbs in the family Urticaceae. It is found in Japan, China and Taiwan. The habitat of the species is moist forests in the mountains. It is in flower from July to September, and its seeds ripen from August to October. The larvae of Vanessa indica, a species of butterfly, are known to feed on U. thunbergiana.

<i>Urtica incisa</i> Species of flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae

Urtica incisa, commonly called scrub nettle, stinging nettle, and tall nettle, is an upright perennial herb native to streams and rainforest of eastern and southern Australia, from the north–east southwards through the east, of Queensland and New South Wales, then across the south, through Victoria, Tasmania, south-eastern South Australia and parts of southern Western Australia. Also widespread in the North and South Island of New Zealand.

<i>Urtica dioica <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> galeopsifolia</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Urtica dioica subsp. galeopsifolia, the fen nettle or stingless nettle, is a herbaceous perennial plant found in Europe. It is considered to be either a subspecies of stinging nettle, or a species in its own right: Urtica galeopsifolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stinging plant</span> Plant with hairs (trichomes) on its leaves or stems

A stinging plant or a plant with stinging hairs is a plant with hairs (trichomes) on its leaves or stems that are capable of injecting substances that cause pain or irritation.

<i>Urtica gracilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Urtica gracilis, commonly known as the slender nettle, tall nettle, or American stinging nettle, is a perennial plant plant without woody stems that is well known for the unpleasant stinging hairs on its leaves and stems. It is native to much of the North America from Guatemala northwards and temperate areas of South America. It is easily confused with the visually very similar Eurasian species Urtica dioica and is still listed in some resources as a subspecies of this plant. However, genetic analysis and experiments show that they are genetically distinct.

<i>Urtica pilulifera</i> Species of flowering plant

Urtica pilulifera, also known as the Roman nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the family Urticaceae.

References

  1. "Annual Nettle, Urtica urens - Flowers - NatureGate".
  2. Stace, C. A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles (Fourth ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C & M Floristics. ISBN   978-1-5272-2630-2.
  3. Blamey, M.; Fitter, R.; Fitter, A (2003). Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. London: A & C Black. ISBN   978-1408179505.
  4. 1 2 "Urtica urens L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  5. P.A. Stroh; T. A. Humphrey; R.J. Burkmar; O.L. Pescott; D.B. Roy; K.J. Walker (eds.). "Urtica urens L". BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  6. "A beginners guide to Nettles". users.actrix.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2010-05-23.